


The Home for Peculiar Children

by live_love_draw_anime



Category: Terra Formars
Genre: All of the Bugs II crew start off as kids, Alternate Universe - Canon Divergence, Gen, No need for transformation drug, The Home, terra formars - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-08-30
Updated: 2015-09-13
Packaged: 2018-04-18 04:10:38
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 2
Words: 9,699
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4691621
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/live_love_draw_anime/pseuds/live_love_draw_anime
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <em>There's a hornet, a silk moth, a locust, an ant</em>
</p><p> </p><p>  <em>A journey to Mars, a surgical implant.</em></p><p> </p><p>  <em>A plot, a plan, a new place to call home</em></p><p> </p><p>  <em>But can you survive where the cockroaches roam?</em></p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Home

**Author's Note:**

> I've just gotten hooked on Terra Formars, and it's easily one of the best manga I've ever read. Unfortunately, it's not quite out there so there aren't many fanfictions on it, so I've decided to write my own!  
> It's a canon divergence so the storyline will mostly be the the same except not as many deaths as in the actual manga because that's waaaay too depressing ;_;

_There's a hornet, a silk moth, a locust, an ant._

\---

If you take a detour off the main road by the U-NASA main building onto a shady trail so obscure most would pass it by, you might find a rundown, slate colored home with dusty curtained windows and a sad looking gate.

And if you looked closely at that gate, you would see the words scratched into the wood: _The Home._

You might look up at that house and see a flicker of movement in one of the shaded windows, though there is no vehicle in the dirt driveway nor a single light source within the home. But that movement will stop as abruptly as it started, leaving you to wonder if you ever witnessed it at all.

And you might, every now and then, see little insects scurrying in under the doorway as if they belong there, showing no trepidation or fear; grasshoppers, ants, and on occasion, a few Japanese giant hornets.

But of course, no one ever stumbles upon that gloomy place; perhaps its aura deters any potential visitors, or maybe it's just never been noticed. Whatever the reason, The Home has been uninhabited for years...or so one might think.

A man lives there, you see. His name is unknown by many, but it can sometimes be heard by those of U-NASA, spoken in hushed tones. They call him Donatello K. Davis, the twenty-one year old Product of a successful experiment.

And he will be very important, they say. He will be the caretaker of several other Products that will come to live in The Home until they are Ready.

Ready for what, you ask? That can not be revealed just yet. Only Davis is aware, and it weighs on his mind day after day. So when the first arrival appears, he warns himself not to become too attached.

"I'm Komachi," the boy tells him cheerily. "Komachi Shokichi. I'm eight. Do you have food?"

And Davis's resolve crumbles to pieces. He leads the boy into the dark, grimy home, making a mental note that more arrivals will be coming soon and he needs to tidy up. Sitting him at the kitchen table, he passes him a slice of bread and watches him carefully as he tears off a piece, chews, and swallows.

"So," Shokichi begins, sinking his teeth into the bread again. "I'll be living here now? You'll be my dad from now on?"

Davis is not sure he's ready for that responsibility. But the child looks at him so earnestly, he has no choice but to nod and smile as kindly as possible. The boy's parents are dead, after all. "I will be your guardian."

"And others are coming?" Shokichi  continues, licking crumbs off his fingers. "Others like me?"

Davis nods. "Yes. That's what The Home is here for. So that I can watch over those who've received the surgery until the time is right."

Shokichi nods thoughtfully. "I still don't understand, really. The whole surgery thing, that is. But if you're here, it's okay!" He smiles widely, giving him a thumbs up, but Davis can only turn away bitterly.

U-NASA has collected orphans like him and experimented on them. Those who survived their surgeries were granted grotesque abilities, but U-NASA's aim was more than just to create superpowered humans. Of course, the children won't have to worry about that until they're much older.

"Well," Shokichi sighs. "I'm going to go up to my room. Thanks for the food." He slides off his chair and scampers quickly away. Davis sighs and places his head in his hands, only to jump in surprise seconds later when a loud _crunch_  reaches his ears.

He looks up to see Shokichi with his fist pressed against the wall, a large stinger protruding from above his knuckles. Two black antennae stick up from his head. Beneath the poisonous point, a cockroach is pinned to the plaster, white fat dripping from its innards. "There was a bug," Shokichi informs him seriously. "You should get pest control."

Davis leaves the room without a word.

\---

Shokichi is bored, sitting on the porch swing in front of The Home and staring out at the deserted dirt road before him. There's not much to do here without anyone else, he thinks to himself, wishing the new arrivals would come soon. Mr. Davis is nice, but he always looks sad. Shokichi doesn't know why. He's pretty sure he isn't _that_ naughty.

The rumbling of a vehicle stirs him from his stupor, and he lifts his head in interest. For the past week, the road has been empty.

One of U-NASA's trucks pulls up and a small, bright eyed girl hops out from the back. She immediately spots Shokichi, and bounds over to investigate him. Meanwhile, a few U-NASA workers get out to talk to Mr. Davis. Shokichi isn't quite sure what they're talking about, but he does catch a few familiar words: "Product", "surgery", and "arrivals".

"Hello!" The girl exclaims. "My name is Akita Nanao. What's yours?"

Shokichi examines her for a bit. She's kind of pretty, he thinks, but he keeps that to himself. She's Japanese, like him, and her presence is like the sun. But he won't tell her that either. "I'm Komachi Shokichi. What's your insect?"

"A moth," Akita tells him. "What's yours?"

"A wasp," Shokichi replies. "Hey, do you wanna be friends? Because it gets pretty lonely out here by yourself."

Akita shrugs. "Okay." Then she brightens. "Here! Take this! This shows that we're best friends as long as we both wear it!" She holds out a leather bracelet.

" _Best_ friends?" Shokichi protests, but he accepts it gingerly.

Akita hums as she twists her own bracelet around her wrist. "I have three, actually. Who should I give the last one to?"

"I don't know. The next arrival, I guess? As long as we like them." Shokichi fiddles with the leather. "By the way, how old are you?"

"Eight," Akita beams.

"Me too!"

It's the start of an unbreakable bond.

\---

The next arrival will be coming soon and Shokichi is excited. He wonders who they might be.

Akita is even more enthused, because even with the both of them living there, The Home is still a depressing sort of place. Mr. Davis does his best to entertain them, but the man gets tired.

They sit together on the creaky swing, their legs shaking anxiously as they squint down the road they've never been allowed on, except when they'd come here themselves. Akita chatters to dispel any boredom, and Shokichi listens with half an ear.

"I wonder what the next arrival will be like! Do you think it'll be a boy? Or a girl? I hope it's a girl. Boys are too gross. Especially you, Shokichi. I mean, who eats _silk worms?_ That's disgusting!"

"They don't taste bad!" Shokichi argues. "And they're good for protein!"

Akita gags. "Just 'cause you're _part_ bug doesn't mean you have to _eat_ bugs!"

Shokichi begins to shoot back that she's part bug as well when the rumbling of the truck reaches their ears. Standing up excitedly, he grabs Akita's hand and pulls her to the side of The Home.

"Hey! What are you doing?" Akita yelps as Shokichi presses a finger to his lips mischievously.

"We're gonna scare them!" Shokichi grins. "When they come up onto the porch, we'll jump out and yell BOO!"

"That's mean!" Akita chides him, but the glint in her eyes tells him she's ready to go along with it.

They watch as the truck door is slowly pushed open with a tentative arm, and a small boy quietly steps out, glancing from side to side as he does so. He's got cropped white hair and silver-gray eyes.

Akita groans beside him. "Another boy?"

"Shhhh," Shokichi hushes her. "We can't give away that we're here."

The new arrival begins to limp towards The Home. His legs are swollen, Shokichi notices, and seem painful to walk on. Perhaps he's still recovering from his surgery. Now Shokichi almost feels guilty about scaring him, but he's already come this far.

They wait until the boy is a mere few feet away, his hand raised to knock on the door. Shokichi quietly counts to three, and they jump out from behind the wall, shouting "BOO!" with all their might.

The boy jumps a mile. Literally.

Shokichi stares in wonder as the boy's seemingly injured legs change to a grasshopper green corded with thick muscle and propel him high up into the air, higher than any human could ever hope to soar. It's a good thing the porch doesn't have a roof.

When the new arrival finally lands, falling to the ground with a small yelp as his swollen legs take the impact, he glares up at them furiously. "Hey! Why did you do that?" A pair of antennae have sprouted on his head.

Shokichi shrugs sheepishly. "I don't know."

The boy stares at him for a moment before kicking him in the shin. Hard.

"Ouch!" Shokichi yells, hopping backwards as he clutches his leg. That _hurt_. It felt like a brick had been thrown at him. "Why are your legs so strong, man?!"

The boy struggles off the ground, taking the hand Akita offers. "My insect was a locust. But my legs are still healing from the surgery."

"Geez," Shokichi grumbles. "You could have told me before I scared you."

The boy lifts an amused eyebrow. "You deserved it."

"Well," Shokichi states, planting his hands on his hips. "It's good to have you here! Welcome to The Home, the place for kids like us! My name is Komachi Shokichi and this is Akita Nanao! We're eight years old!"

The new arrival smiles. "I'm Thien. I'm eight too!"

Akita grins. "Nice to meet you Thien! Here, this is for you." She hands him the last leather bracelet.

Thien hesitates (he's remembering another time when leather had touched his skin, only in the form of straps that held down his limbs as doctors cut into his legs) but he takes the bracelet anyway. "Thanks."

Akita looks pleased. "I like you! You're nice, not like Shokichi! Did you know he eats _bugs_?"

Thien looks unsurprised. "So? I've eaten a cockroach before. Alive, too."

Akita shrieks, looking mortified. "What! Ewww!"

Thien just shrugs. "I was hungry. That's all."

Akita runs off, yelling about how all boys are gross and weird, and Shokichi turns to Thien, snickering. "You're going to be really useful, Thien."

Thien furrows his brow. "What do you mean?"

An evil look comes over Shokichi's face. "Mr. Davis keeps his cookies on the top shelf."

\---

Thien decides he likes it here at The Home. It's an old, creaky building, but when he's with Akita and Shokichi, it seems full of energy. Anyway, it's better than living on the streets like he did before. Plus, the chocolate chip cookies are amazing. Even though Mr. Davis yelled at them when he found out.

He constantly wonders about the reason for his surgery. He's not exactly sure why he needs to be able to leap over a nine story building or kick so powerfully that he can fell trees. Or why Akita can shoot little threads from her fingertips and Shokichi grows stingers from time to time.

Mr. Davis seemed to be very surprised when he found they could use their insect powers at will. "When they performed my surgery," he told them. "It was only with the use of a drug that I could activate my abilities. I guess they're more advanced now, aren't they?"

But when Thien questioned him about the reasons for the surgery, Mr. Davis refused to say another word. "When you're older," he told them, and dropped the subject immediately.

New arrivals come frequently now. The next is Victoria Wood, a pesky five year old girl who chases everyone in sight with little stingers that sprout from her fingertips. An emerald cockroach wasp, she says. Thien dislikes her immediately. Shokichi and Akita share his sentiment.

Then comes Ichiro, Ming-Ming, Tejas, Maria, on and on until they number fifteen in total including Mr. Davis and the arrivals stop.

"No more," Thien hears a U-NASA worker tell Mr. Davis. "That'll be it for now. Raise the Products until they're Ready, and then launch the mission. We're relying on you, Mr. Davis."

And Thien somehow gets chills down his spine when he hears those words.

He wonders what happens when you're Ready.

\---

The training is hard, Shokichi thinks to himself as he goes over the same kick for the nth time. He's learning karate, something Mr. Davis tells him is absolutely necessary. Fighting will be important for all of them, so they all receive their own personalized training schedules to perform every day.

Shokichi isn't sure how Mr. Davis manages to teach them all a different fighting style. He wonders why they don't all just learn the same thing. Wouldn't it be easier for Mr. Davis that way?

"Individuality is important," Mr. Davis explains when he asks. "When you are Ready, it will be necessary for you to all have your own techniques. That way, if one technique is not effective, another person can step in."

"Effective against what?" Shokichi frowns. But Mr. Davis has already gone back to teaching Thien Muay Thai, a brutal fighting style that leaves the locust boy battered and bruised after every session. Shokichi is lucky he was allowed to learn karate.

Akita struggles with the basics of fighting, unaccustomed to this type of exercise. Only a few others stand out to Shokichi. One is Ichiro. He's a pockmarked, flabby faced seven year old, who is actually strong for his age. The other is God Lee, the scowling ten year old who thinks he's all that because he grew up on the battlefield. But Shokichi's sure he could take him in a fight any day. Probably.

They all work hard, day in and day out, though no one knows what it's for. Shokichi doesn't question it anymore. It's simply how life is now.

And life carries on just like that for a long time, even when Mr. Davis tells them a year later that he's now a father, and all the girls coo over little baby Michelle when she comes to visit. The baby is one of the first people they've seen ever since coming to The Home.

Shokichi admits that she's cute, but he doesn't fawn over her like Aki does. Instead he pulls Thien away to go look for bugs by the creek and they stay there until Michelle has gone home with her mother.

When they return, all the other children have gathered in the common room of The Home, seated on the floor in front of the big chair, where Mr. Davis sits. He motions for them to join them and begins to talk.

"It's time for you to be made aware of a few things. U-NASA wanted me to tell you eventually."

And from there, he goes on to talk about Mars. Shokichi has only heard of it once or twice--that far, distant planet that used to be red but is now green. That's all he knows, but Mr. Davis gets into detail.

"As you might know, Earth's population is growing far too large for the earth to sustain us much longer."

Shokichi doesn't know that, but he listens quietly. This is the first piece of information Mr. Davis has given them on the outside world.

"So 500 years ago, scientists began the Terraforming project--a project to warm up Mars and make it suitable for human life. They did this by sending a dark type of moss and insect to Mars, cockroaches to be exact." Mr. Davis folds his hands in his lap.

Shokichi shudders. He hates cockroaches. Thien looks unfazed, waiting for Mr. Davis to continue.

"The moss provided the cockroaches with food, and their vitality allowed them to withstand the extreme cold. In turn, the dark colors of the roaches and the moss absorbed the sun, slowly heating Mars up. Of course, because cold often makes organisms grow bigger to withstand it, the cockroaches may now be on a slightly different scale than usual."

Shokichi groans and a few of the girls make faces. Thien is frowning. "So, what does this have to do with us?"

Mr. Davis's piercing blue eyes meet Thien's. "This is the reason for your surgery."

At that, everyone in the room goes completely silent. This is what they've all been waiting to hear. Why they've been made like this. What lies in store for them.

"For one, your surgery will allow you to survive in Mars' harsh atmosphere. It's not completely prepared for human use, but you'll be fine even without a mask."

Ichiro looks confused. "But why are some of our abilities suited for combat? And why are we learning to fight?"

Mr. Davis grimaces. "I myself don't know all the details. But apparently the cockroaches will be...tougher to handle than usual."

Everyone exchanges a look. They're not sure what he means by that exactly, but it doesn't sound good. Maria raises her hand. "So we'll be going to Mars?"

Mr. Davis nods. "In ten more years."

\---

Shokichi finds Thien sitting alone outside later. His back is pressed against the side of The Home and his eyes stare off into the cluster of trees nearby. "Whatcha doin?"

Thien shrugs. "I was just thinking. About why we were chosen for the surgery."

Shokichi sits next to him and laughs. "Isn't it obvious? We've got no parents, we're dirt poor, and the survival rate is only 36%. It doesn't matter since we're orphans. U-NASA can do whatever they like to us and no one will even know or care."

"Yeah..." Thien trails off, rubbing his surgery-enhanced legs. "It's too bad, isn't it? Hey, is it just me, or do you get the feeling that this whole Mars business is unusual? I mean, look who they're sending. A bunch of kids who no one will remember if they suddenly disappear. I'm beginning to think that it's a lot more dangerous than just a few 'enlarged' roaches."

Shokichi just stares straight ahead, the words he heard long ago running through his mind.

"Dead men tell no tales."


	2. Bugs II

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter closely follows the Bugs II arc, so much of the dialogue is similar although there are several altercations since I will be changing parts to fit my fanfic. It follows canon events for the most part, but all of the characters' thoughts are my own.
> 
> Excerpts from the Book of Exodus are included just like they are in the manga.

 

_A journey to Mars, a surgical implant._

\---

_This is it._

Thien takes a shuddering breath. One hand clenches the edge of his seat and the other hangs limply at his side. They're about to enter Mars' atmosphere and everyone on board is tense. Ever since Mr. Davis--they call him 'Captain' now--told them the reason for their surgeries ten years ago, they've all been edgy about going to Mars.

It doesn't sit right with any of them, not even the Captain, but they have no right to refuse U-NASA.

Thien glances over at Shokichi and Akita, who stand side by side staring out the glass window of the space ship, _Bugs II_. All he knows is that the previous astronauts who came before them, _Bugs I_ , were met with an unforeseen accident and never made it back to Earth. That doesn't help the mood.

But he's ready, Thien thinks to himself. He's fully prepared to face anything that comes his way. For eleven years, he's trained in offensive combat, and his insect is suitable for fighting. That can't be said for some of the others, he realizes, glancing over at Maria and Jaina. They're built for pure defense, but they lack fighting power.

Well, no matter what's gone wrong with the cockroaches, surely the insects can't possibly have evolved to an outrageous level. Five hundred years is much too short for that type of progression. _We'll be fine._

"Please prepare for landing," Captain Davis announces. "Take your seats and strap yourselves in securely. We're entering the atmosphere."

Thien buckles the straps and shoots a trembling Akita a reassuring look. "It'll be fine."

She nods shakily, and Shokichi gives her a quick pat on the head. "I'll protect you, Aki!"

Akita snorts. "Just a half hour ago you were curled up on the floor whimpering about how much you despised roaches! Thien'll protect me, right?"

Shokichi glares daggers at him, and Thien laughs. "Just stick with me." He enjoys teasing Shokichi like this. It's obvious that he likes Aki, and she actually shares his sentiments. But both Thien and Aki love seeing how far they can push Shokichi's buttons.

"Enough playtime, you three," the Captain says to them sternly. "Review the details of our mission."

At that, everyone sobers. The spaceship pushes through the atmosphere and they are all forced into silence as their bodies are practically glued to their seats from the speed of the spacecraft. Thien closes his eyes, their objective spinning in circles through his head.

_Once the landing is complete, immediately spray the insecticide, Mars Red, through all six valves in the spaceship ensuring even coverage and efficiency during extermination...three hours after doing so, split into teams to collect the roach corpses...deposit into bins for further study on their current state...after a generous amount of samples have been collected, return to ship and conduct research on samples, then complete extermination..._

It seems straightforward and simple, but Thien doubts everything will go off without a hitch. Deep in his bones, he senses that something beyond their current knowledge lurks out there.

They finally touch down on Mars, _Bugs II_ settling into the dust. Thien slowly unstraps himself and walks to the window. All he can see are large rock formations and patches of dark moss on the rocky surface. A light wind blows, scattering the remaining clouds of dust, and he can see across the plains for miles.

Not a single living thing moves out there. No trace of roaches, nothing. Thien swallows, but shakes away the jitters in his stomach.

"Let's begin spraying the Mars Red," the Captain says, clearing his throat. "The sooner we get moving, the better."

Thien joins Shokichi and Akita at their station as they fill up the tanks of gaseous spray and insert it into the valve. "What do you guys think?"

Akita shrugs. "It seems really quiet out there. But it's not as bad as I thought it would be. There aren't giant, mutated cockroaches running all over the ground." She laughs.

Shokichi shivers. "I wish you hadn't said that, Aki."

"Still..." Thien glances around at a few of their companions. "I'm kind of nervous. But those guys seem weirdly calm." He gestures to Victoria Wood and Ichiro Hiruma, who are systematically checking over their tanks. "Doesn't seem normal."

Victoria catches his eye and shoots him a nasty grin. Thien just frowns, turning away. "Still as irritating as usual." He really can't stand that girl.

"No lollygagging, you three," Captain Davis says, appearing behind them. "Geez, you're on a roll today, aren't you?"

They all grin sheepishly, and Captain Davis looks at them sternly though they can see a glimmer of amusement in his eyes. "Take this seriously, alright? Let's complete our mission."

"Yes sir!" Shokichi shouts, saluting in an overly stiff, somewhat mocking manner. He's still a nineteen year old boy, after all.

Captain Davis cracks a rare smile and pats him on the shoulder. "Get moving, soldier."

The three hours of waiting pass slowly after the poison has been sprayed, what with Shokichi resuming his whimpering and the whole of the crew chatting casually as they try to conceal their shakiness. Finally, it's time to go.

"I will now split you into pairs!" Captain Davis commands as they stand outside the ship. "Those who are not sent out to collect the corpses, stay inside to work on the ship!" With that, he sends Thien and Maria to scout east, Shokichi and Akita north, Ichiro and Victoria south, and Tejas and Jaina to the west.

The four teams depart, their eyes roving over the ground in search of roach corpses. Thien squints at the dusty earth, but all he sees is rock and moss. After fifteen minutes of fruitless searching, he turns to Maria with a frown. "There aren't any carcasses...did the Mars Red not work...?"

Maria looks dubious. "The mist came from this way so maybe they all ran off further?"

That's definitely not plausible. "...but still..." Thien mutters as he emerges from behind a rock formation, "...there should be at least one..."

And then he sees them.

_Oh god, oh god, what is that, what are those, those things, what are they, this isn't possible, this isn't possible, thisisntpossible--_

He jerks back behind the rock formation, clamping his hand over Maria's mouth to stifle her scream. He's breathing heavily in and out, his mind desperately trying to process the monstrosities just around the corner.

_Are they aliens? Martians!?_

There's no other way to describe the three, six foot tall, club bearing humanoid beasts that stand just feet away, conversing in their strange language. "Juh, ju-juh, juh-ju, juh-juh." As Thien takes in the cerci that rattle from their rear ends and the antennae that twitch on their heads, the horrifying truth begins to wash over him.

_These are...cockroaches?!_

Still panting, Thien releases Maria, whispering a shaky, "sorry..." and quickly flipping on his radio. "I've...I've got to contact the Captain. We'll wait for them to go away...then leave here."

_What have we done?_

\---

Shokichi stands speechless next to Akita, staring at the... _thing_...before them. It's large and brown, with four limbs like a human and an incredibly muscular physique that every man would kill for. But its blank black eyes and warped facial structure differentiate it from any human Shokichi has ever seen.

"What should we do? There's no way that's an astronaut. Maybe we should head back and inform..."

"Oops." Akita mutters beside him. "Our eyes met."

Shokichi feels himself sweating. _Come on, tough this one out for Aki..._ "What? Oh god...it's coming this way. Oh well...you stand back a bit, Aki."

"Uhh..."Akita begins nervously. "We're okay, right? We can just talk it out, right?"

"This feels like déjà vu," Shokichi laughs a bit. He's _really_ sweating.

"Like when you caught that moth from my room in The Home?" Akita remembers. She shudders at the memory.

"Yeah, that's it," Shokichi mumbles, watching the creature draw closer. "I let it out the window."

"You said the same thing then, "We can talk it out." Akita quotes. "Talk it out with a moth!" She rolls her eyes, but reaches out to grasp his hand. "I think we'll be fine since you're so nice, even if we're dealing with an alien."

Shokichi starts when her palm slips into his. "Er...are...are you scared? If you are..."

"It doesn't matter," Akita mumbles, blushing. "Just, you talk to it."

"Okay," Shokichi replies, his face also growing warm. The creature is only three feet away. "Hello! Nice to meet you! Can you, uh, speak? Where are you from? Are you a Martian? Konnichiwa?"

The thing doesn't respond. Instead, its right hand shoots forward.

It all happens so fast. Shokichi's eyes widen as the creature does not reach for him, but instead for Aki, its long fingers preparing to close around her head--

And Shokichi realizes what it's about to do.

_Oh my god, it's going to snap her neck!_

It's as if everything is moving in slow motion, including him, and he cannot possibly move fast enough to save her, to save Aki--

Then the creature's head explodes.

Akita screams as the thing's arm falls limp at its side and the body collapses toward her. Shokichi grabs her, pulling her out of the way milliseconds before she's crushed.

Thien stands there, his transformed leg raised in the aftermath of his kick that decapitated the alien-like creature. His face shows absolute relief when he sees that Akita is still in one piece. "Are you guys okay?"

Shokichi is shaken, but he nods. "Yeah, thanks for that. What on earth are these things?"

Maria steps out from behind Thien. "We think they might actually be super-evolved cockroaches. Look at the cerci and antennae."

Shokichi bends down to observe the lifeless body. Sure enough, it shares the similar traits of a cockroach. "Wait...if it's a roach...doesn't it also mean it can still move even after decapitation...?"

A fearful silence falls over the group before it's broken by a shrill scream. "Shokichi!"

Shokichi reacts to Akita's warning just in time as the headless creature lashes out with its arm. Before he can think about what he's doing, he's brought out his wasp stingers and is pummeling the creature back into the ground.

_One hit, two hits, three hits, over and over until it's dead, sting it 'till it dies, fill it with poison, die die die--_

"Shokichi!" Thien is grabbing his arms. "It's dead. Calm down now."

Shokichi nods slowly, slowly lowering his fists. He exhales deeply, trying to subdue the rage that built up within him when the creature had attempted to kill Aki. "...okay. What should we do now?"

"We should report back immediately," Thien decides. "It will be best to decide what to do once everyone is present and we have the Captain's orders."

Shokichi grasps Akita's palm once again and the foursome break into a brisk run, heading back to the spaceship. Although it doesn't take them very long to return, they are the last to arrive.

The Captain sits at the head of the meeting table, looking solemn as he listens to Shokichi's explanation about the roaches. The other members appear shocked. Maria, who was present during the encounter, is close to breaking down. "They told us that...the procedure and the training was only for emergencies. Just in case they'd gotten bigger...or they'd increased in number, or they were hard to handle...but...they...I can't believe they...took human form...and are so...ridiculously agile..."

"Agile, you say?" The Captain mirrors. "But you two were able to kill one?" He looks at Shokichi and Thien.

Thien shakes his head. "It was pure luck that I happened to arrive when I did. If I had acted one second slower, Akita would have been..."

Shokichi nods in agreement. "I have no idea what we'd do if they swarmed us."

Maria can no longer keep her composure. "We can't continue!" She cries, standing up. "Let's return to Earth! Captain..."

But Captain Davis only shakes his head. "No..." He murmurs.

"We can't go back, right?"

It's God Lee, the battlefield upstart. He sits apart from the rest, on the floor. _Trying to act like a lone wolf, aren't you,_ Shokichi grumps mentally. He dislikes Lee almost as much as he hates Victoria.

"Truth is," Lee continues. "We haven't done one tenth of our mission yet, right? My Captain." He gets to his feet, pulling up his sleeves. "If we don't kill them like we're told, we can't go home. We're just pawns to U-NASA. Tools to be used and then thrown out."

"But-" Maria tries to intercede but Lee cuts her off.

"What do you think they'd do to us if we went back now? Why were we sent in the first place? We have _nothing. No one._ We don't even have the right to make our own decisions anymore. That all went out the window with our surgery. We are slaves to U-NASA. If we abandon the mission now, I can guarantee you they'll do anything to shut you up when we get back to Earth."

Everyone shivers at the underlying threat of Lee's words. "I'll take care of this," he continues. "Roaches shouldn't be able to stand up to high heat. I'll bring back their carcasses to earth...and shove them into the employee lockers at U-NASA!"

He opens the spaceship door, claiming he'll find the nest and be back within an hour, disregarding Thien's attempt to offer assistance. When the door closes again, everyone falls silent.

Shokichi takes Akita's hand and joins Thien. He feels that they should stick together now, for some reason. They stand there without a word for the next hour, anxiously awaiting God Lee's return.

And return he does. Part of him.

"Captain!" Toshio Blight, a tall, bespectacled crew member yells, gesturing frantically to the radar. "Something is coming! It's...almost here!"

Captain Davis' eyes go wide. "It can't be!"

Then the cockroach smashes through the window.

In its hand swings Lee's head, his lower jaw hanging gruesomely by only the skin. But the roach doesn't wait for them to act. Immediately, it turns on Maria, who has activated her stag beetle ability in hopes of defending herself, and with one powerful swing of its arm, cuts her in half.

She falls to the floor, dead in an instant.

Shokichi's breath catches in his throat. Just like that, Maria is dead. He shudders to think that that could have happened to Akita.

The Captain's eyes have turned fierce. Deadly. He _has_ spent eleven years with those two kids. Of course he feels something. "Every one stand down! I will handle this. I should have handled this!" He pulls a small syringe filled with the drug he needs to transform and stabs it into his neck.

Shokichi is relieved. Captain Davis is strong, he knows that for sure. His surgery base is one of the best out there. But his relief is short lived, because then Toshio starts shouting, waving at the window.

His heart drops at the swarm of cockroaches approaching the ship.

\---

They're informed to run. Escape while they still have the chance. Ming-Ming is to take charge and lead the crew to safety. The Captain and Ichiro will hold off the roaches while the rest of them use the evacuation car.

Thien doesn't like that they're leaving two of their family behind, but he also understands that by staying, many more will die. It's hard, but he nods toward Captain Davis and follows the others to the car.

Tejas begins his transformation, the steninae water skater that can shoot out gas from its mouth to propel it across the water at high speeds. With that amount of force, they should escape without a problem.

They open the hatch, only to see several roaches waiting by the entrance. "They noticed!" Redon Bergsmuller, a fellow crew mate, shouts in warning.

"Just launch!" Thien yells. There's no time to cower back in fear. If they take too long, they're dead.

Tejas releases his gas with a boom, shooting the evac car out of the hatch at an insane speed. It's all Thien can do to keep his eyes open with the wind nearly blowing him from the car.

But when he sees the sight before him, he almost wishes he would've kept them shut tight. Tejas' body collapses to the floor, his head gone. Jaina screams as the crimson liquid spilling from his neck splashes her in the face, and Shokichi looks sick.

 _So they grabbed at us,_ Thien realizes, staring at the cockroach gripping Tejas' head, now far away from the still moving evac unit. _Grabbed at a vehicle going really fast..._

_Monsters..._

It's then they see it. As they recover from the shock of losing yet another family member, something comes into view that takes their breath away. And no, it's not the arrival of dawn on Mars, which is so blue they have to squint to look into it.

It's the appearance of a spaceship modeled similarly to their own. There's only one thing it can be.

_Bugs I._

John and Redon stay outside next to the evac unit to keep watch while Thien, Shokichi, Akita, Ming-Ming, Jaina, Yang, and Toshio enter the spaceship.

There's no sign of corpses of the _Bugs I_ members; the cockroaches must have done something to them, though Thien would rather not imagine what. But he does notice something odd on the control board. Leaning in to investigate, the word 'TRANSMITTED' flashes up at him.

"What do you think this means?" He asks Shokichi in a low voice.

Shokichi looks shocked. "They sent...something to Earth?!"

Thien is about to call Ming-Ming over to take a look as well when the sound of gunfire reaches their ears. The crew bursts outside, only to see John and Redon sprawled out on the ground, blood spurting from multiple gunshot wounds. They're obviously dead.

Shokichi is pale. "Who in the world...there weren't any roaches...insid--"

Thien's blood runs cold when he hears the shifting of dirt and familiar "Juh" behind him. He knows, without turning around, what he will see.

Cockroaches, sporting guns and firearms, emerging from underneath _Bugs I._

There's no time to lose. Both he and Shokichi nod to each other, and, standing back to back, begin their transformation. Akita stays close to them. Her ability isn't the best when it comes to combat, but she transforms anyway, preparing her strings. The cockroaches immediately close in, holding their guns they pillaged from _Bugs I._

"Uwaaaahh!" Thien hears Yang cry from off to his left. He looks up just in time to see the man get filled with bullets-- _another family member, dead_ \--and leave Jaina cowering in fear behind him. She transforms as quickly as she can, harnessing the power of the Pachyrhynchus Infernalis Weevil, also known as the hardest insect.

Her arms are covered in thick black shell that repel the bullets shot her way. He sees her smile in relief for just a moment before she realizes that while bullets can't penetrate, she's surrounded by roaches.

Jaina's terrified screams reach Thien's ears as they grab her body, twisting it in multiple directions before finally decapitating her.

"Jaina!" Ming-Ming cries, her face stark white. Seconds later, Toshio's head is also torn away. A single, strange thought is running through Thien's head.

_So this is what happens when you're Ready._

Thien, Shokichi, Akita, and Ming-Ming are all that's left. The rest of their 'family' is dead.

"Shokichiiiii!!!" Thien yells, springing into action. With his super-enhanced legs, he kicks off the heads of the first two roaches. His leg strength is second to none.

"I'm on iiiiittt!!!" Shokichi shouts, grabbing the arm of the roach before him and flipping it onto the ground. His stinger plants itself in its face fractions of a second later. Roach juice splatters everywhere.

But Shokichi doesn't stop there. It's as if he lets his insect side take over, and the ferocious personality of the Asian giant hornet consumes him. He flits from cockroach to cockroach, pummeling them with his fists until they're pumped with poison.

_Sting, sting, sting, until the black organism is dead._

Thien watches, somewhat amazed, as Shokichi repeatedly hits the last cockroach long after it's been killed. Finally, he steps forward, grabbing Shokichi's arm. "It's over...Shokichi."

They're the only four survivors. Thien swallows as he looks at the remains of his fallen crewmates _(family)_ and tries to think about those who are still here instead.

They want to immediately head back to help Captain Davis and Ichiro (if they're still alive, that is) but at that moment, a strong wind blows. With their vision no longer hampered by the early morning mist, an unexpected sight greets them.

Two tall pyramidical structures, stretching up towards the sky of Mars that--

_\--has never held any life form intelligent enough to create them._

\---

Shokichi stares in wonder at the intricate buildings before him. How is this even possible? Thien, Akita, and Ming-Ming are also in shock, and a sense of horror slowly builds within them.

_Did the roaches build these?_

Yes, they were smart enough to adapt to the usage of guns, but could they possibly have advanced this far?

Shokichi is almost about to suggest that they take a closer look when the sound of roaring engines reach their ears. Akita snaps her head in the direction of where _Bugs II_ was positioned. Their worst fears are confirmed. The spaceship is taking off.

And leaving them behind.

"Wait!" Akita cries, looking devastated. "Who--?"

They rush for the car, Thien taking the wheel and slamming his foot on the gas. They rocket forward, trying to make sense of the situation.

Names run through Shokichi's head. _Tejas, Yang, Redon, John, Toshio, Jaina...nope, all dead._ Then who...?

"Wood!" Akita cries, hanging on to her seat for dear life.

"What?" Shokichi yells back. "What do you--?"

"Victoria Wood!" Akita shouts. "She's the only one who didn't come with us! But she didn't stay on the ship with Ichiro and Captain! So..."

"Wood's betrayed us..." Ming-Ming realizes. "And is trying to abandon us here?!"

They finally reach _Bugs II_ , but it's obvious it's too late. The ship is way out of reach, at least five hundred feet up now.

"Thien!" Shokichi looks at him desperately.

"I can't!" Thien tells him, despair washing over his face. "That's too high, even for me!"

Shokichi curses, slamming his fist into the side of the car. If they get stranded here, they're dead. Yet all he can do is watch as the ship soars upwards, far from reach.

Then it happens. As if summoned by a silent call, cockroaches swarm by the hundreds out of nowhere, spreading their wings and flying towards the escaping _Bugs II_. They latch on with their muscular arms, covering the surface with brown insects, and slowly, the ship begins to sink back down. Shokichi's not sure whether he should happy or horrified.

With a crash, the ship lands back on the packed earth of Mars and the doors slowly open. Shokichi rushes forward, his three companions in tow. They enter the ship to see half a dozen roaches already inside. They turn to stare at the incoming humans, their emotionless black eyes regarding them with detached bloodlust.

\---

Thien takes in the scene immediately. Ichiro is unconscious, blood trickling from his mouth. The Captain lies a few feet away, a bullet hole in his head.

And Victoria Wood is sprawled out, obviously dead, a telltale gun near her hand.

Thien swallows thickly, realization sinking in.

He's always

hated

Wood.

\---

When he sees Captain Davis dead, Shokichi almost loses it. But he doesn't, because he needs his head on his shoulders at this moment.

One of the cockroaches turns away from them, ignoring their presence completely. Instead, it begins walking into a different room. The control room, Shokichi realizes. Whatever the roach wants to do in there can't be good.

"Go!" Thien tells him. "We'll take care of the ones in here!"

Shokichi gives him a quick nod and grabs Akita. "Come with me. Just stay back while I kill the roach."

Akita nods, her eyes wet. She's obviously terrified, though she hasn't broken down yet. "I trust you, Shokichi!"

He nods, his chest tight. He has to protect Akita...he _will_  protect Akita. "We'll survive this," he whispers. "We'll survive this...and go home."

\---

She's beheaded at once.

It's enough to drive Thien mad, watching Ming-Ming die at her own hands--literally. The roach pulls off her mantis arm and slices her neck with one stroke.

_That was my big sister._

_"Thien!"_

_An eleven year old Ming-Ming waves him over to see something she's making. He hurries over, his eight year old body straining up on its tip-toes to see over the edge of the tall counter._

_"It's a locust," she tells him, handing him a carved piece of wood. "Your insect. I made it for you."_

_"Wow!" It's amazing, he thinks, his eyes drinking in the incredible detail on the piece. "It's so good! Are you gonna make one for everybody?"_

_"Nah," Ming-Ming says, trying to hide her pride at his words. "Just for you."_

_Thien frowns at her, his eyes wide. "Why?"_

_Ming-Ming laughs, ruffling his hair. "Cause you're special, kid."_

_That was my big sister._

"AAAAAAGHHH!!!"

His vision goes red as he kicks at the roach's head with all his might. He'll kill it. He'll kill it. He'll--

But the roach is different than the others. So much more agile, like a man. It slams its legs at his chest, and he barely manages to block with his arm, though the impact sends him flying against the wall. His back takes the brunt of the hit, and he feels something inside him rupture.

Blood sprays from his mouth, and Thien collapses to the floor, barely registering that some of that blood splatters onto Ichiro's cheek.

He feels himself fading into blackness, and he briefly realizes he's going to die...

"AAAAAAHHHHHHH!!!!"

The thunderous scream snaps Thien awake.

"I need money...I...NEED MONEY!!!"

_It's Ichiro...why is he saying that? Ah right...his situation was different than the others who were sent to The Home. Ichiro's family was still alive, weren't they? But in return for allowing the surgery to be performed on him, his family would receive compensation. His mother was ill...she needed treatment._

_And as for how Ichiro is awake...his insect is the sleeping chironomid...an insect able to recover from almost any non-fatal trauma once given water...or some type of liquid._

_My blood..._

Thien struggles to his feet just in time to see Ichiro headbutt a cockroach full on, crushing the insect's skull. But then, Ichiro does the unexpected.

_"Never go beyond your limit."_

_Thien stands before the U-NASA doctor, the one who performed his surgery. "What do you mean?"_

_"Right now, your transformation only takes you to a certain extent of insect form. Basically, you won't turn into a man-sized locust. However..."_

_Thien waits, a bit apprehensively, for the man to finish. "Yes?"_

_"You and all the others also have the ability to...how do you say...overdose. You can take your transformation one step further. Your body will become more insect-like, and your abilities will grow stronger. But, this also puts tremendous strain on your body. And if your internal organs, specifically your kidney and liver are damaged, you will die. Those organs are responsible for dismantling the insect cells in your body. Without them, your body will reject the insect cells, and there's nearly zero chance of survival."_

_Don't overdose._

Ichiro overdoses. He's prepared to fight.

_Don't overdose._

It's the only way to survive. Thien overdoses. He's prepared to make it home alive.

He can feel his body straining as his skin turns black and the wings of a desert locust erupt from his back. But it doesn't matter, because he...

_"I can't die here!"_

\---

Shokichi and Akita rush into the control room to see the cockroach studying the control board. He leans in close to examine a few buttons, his round eyes squinting almost comically. Then, very gently, he begins to pry off a main panel.

Shokichi watches in bewilderment. What is that roach doing?

"Is it..." Akita begins uncertainly. "Is it...stealing technology?"

The roach pays them no attention, still working on removing the panel.

"They did steal guns," Shokichi remembers. "So I wouldn't be surprised. But if that's the case, we can't let it!"

Finally, the roach turns around, panel in hand. "Juh!"

Shokichi glares, slowly releasing his stingers. "I have no idea what you're saying, _roach scum_ , but I'm not letting you leave here!" He's going to kill this roach. He's really going to pulverize it.

For everyone who's died at its hands.

The roach blinks in surprise when Shokichi appears in his face, his body having moved too fast for its eyes to follow. He rips the panel from its hands before kneeing it between the legs. Pulling back his arm, he prepares to drive his stinger into its face, but the roach dodges, striking Shokichi in the jaw.

The pain is enough to make him black out, but if he does that, the roach will surely kill Aki. Instead, he steps forward again, killing intent rolling from his entire being. The cockroach stares at him unblinkingly before grabbing his stingers and ripping them clean off.

Shokichi growls, clutching his hands, but he moves in once again. He will fight.

He will fight, and he will win.

\---

Thien doesn't waste a second. He attacks without hesitation, the ferocity of his insect clouding his mind. It's as if his body moves on its own, his brain programmed to kick, tear apart, repeat.

_Else, if thou refuse to let my people go,_

One roach down.

_Behold, to-morrow will I bring locusts into thy border_

Two, three.

_It has the teeth of a lion_

He feels his lips pull apart in a bone-chilling grin as he slams his knee into the jaw of a roach.

_It has laid waste my vines and ruined my fig trees._

Their heads fly off, one by one. He feels exhilarated. More, more, more.

_It has stripped off their bark and thrown it away, leaving their branches white._

The white fat of the roaches' innards splatter the floor. His head is beginning to ache and his chest is tight, but _he must fight._

_Before them fire devours, behind them a flame blazes._

He's so close. Raise leg, kick, decapitate.

_Before them the land is like the Garden of Eden,_

"Aaack!!!" Thien coughs up blood, collapsing to his knees. He can no longer stand.

_Behind them, a desert waste._

A wasteland of corpses lie scattered behind his heaving form as his transformation slowly recedes, his skin fading from black to its normal tone and the large wings shriveling and hanging limp.

He's done well.

But Ichiro...

Ichiro is facing problems. Even after he slams the roach's head into the ground, crushing its skull, even after he thinks it's been killed, after he turns away from its lifeless body to stare at Thien in concern as he clutches his damaged stomach, it still rises once again.

The roach, its head hanging from the back of its neck by a mere strand, leaps to its feet, its arms shooting out to grab Ichiro's neck. It tightens its hold, intent on strangling him before it dies itself.

The stocky boy hisses, trying to suck in air while prying at the roach's fingers. But it's no use. He's going to die for sure, unless...

Thien struggles to his feet, rushing to his aid, only to be kicked once again in the stomach. He slams into the wall, fire bursting through him as his already damaged organs take another blow. But, he's done what he planned to do.

The roach's severed arm falls to the floor, a clean cut made by Ming-Ming's mantis arm that Thien had grabbed just before reaching the roach.

Ichiro rips away the remaining arm around his throat and grabs the gun that Wood dropped on the ground earlier. With a final shot to the cockroach's already mutilated body, the insect finally dies.

\---

It's over.

Shokichi stands before the corpse of his roach. After losing his stingers, he beat the roach with his bare hands, punching and literally hurling it repeatedly against the wall.

Akita stands a short distance away, her mouth hanging open. "Shokichi...you..."

Shokichi wipes his brow tiredly. "I'm pretty awesome, aren't I?"

Akita laughs shakily. "Yeah...you are..."

Shokichi chuckles slightly. "Thanks..." Then he shakes his head. What is he doing? He needs to go help Thien and Ichiro. For some reason, he's got a bad feeling in his stomach. "Come on Aki, let's go."

They race back out of the control room to see bodies, both human and roach alike, lying everywhere. Ichiro stands in the center of it all, holding a smoking gun. "Shokichi, Akita..." He says when he sees them. "We're evacuating. Destroying all the roaches and their eggs isn't possible yet. The Bugs series of spaceships has a small pod that can be sent to earth. I think we can barely fit four in."

Shokichi's eyes widen as he looks around. "Just four...?" He sees Ming-Ming's body, her head a few feet away. Captain Davis lies in a pool of blood. Wood is clearly gone. And Thien...

Shokichi feels his body freeze. A numbing cold spreads throughout his veins that leaves him immobile. "Hey...Thien..."

Thien is slumped against the wall, one hand clutching a bloody wound in his stomach. At first, Shokichi thinks his face is deformed. Then he realizes that he's beginning to resemble an insect--a locust. Half of his face sags and swells, slowly turning a brownish green. The other half is still normal, but Shokichi can tell that it's beginning to follow suit.

"He overdosed," Ichiro explains quietly. Akita is crying silently, tears dripping down her cheeks. "We couldn't have defeated that roach if he hadn't. Ming-Ming...died right away. I didn't die...but Thien hasn't returned to his normal body. He must be...already..."

Information runs through Shokichi's frozen mind, information he was told to retain.

_The Bugs procedure stops the human body from rejecting insect tissue which wouldn't normally be able to coexist. It is also possible to go further beyond the balance by willingly overdosing to get closer to an insect body. However..._

_Should the effects of the overdose last for too long..._

_You would die due to the shock caused by the human immune system._

"I just..." Thien struggles to speak. "...pushed myself too hard...haha..."

"Why did you..." Akita whispers, her face full of anguish. "That's..."

"My internal organs..." Thien tells them. "My liver and kidney...that dismantle the transformation...are gone...don't worry about me...go now..."

Shokichi still can't bring himself to move. Memories race through his mind, from a long time ago...

_"Thien! Over here!" Shokichi shout-whispers, waving his arms frantically._

_The white haired boy slowly creeps into the pantry where Shokichi waits, an evil grin on his face. "There they are. Up there on the top, see?"_

_Thien squints up at the top shelf. A box of chocolate chip cookies sit there invitingly._

_"Just jump up and grab them," Shokichi informs him. "Then we'll hide them upstairs. Mr. Davis will never know!"_

_"Alright," Thien whispers back. "I'm ready when you are."_

_Shokichi peeks out of the pantry to make sure the coast is clear. "You're all good! Make the jump!"_

_Thien leaps into the air, snagging the cookies with his fingers and landing back on the wood floor with a loud thud. He looks at Shokichi, wide-eyed._

_Shokichi stares back. They're both praying no one heard them._

_"Hey!" A loud voice calls from the sitting room. "Someone in the kitchen?"_

_"Run!" Shokichi hisses. He grabs Thien's arm and they sprint up the stairs, only to be met face to face with Mr. Davis. He scowls down at them fiercely. "Boys..."_

"To tell the truth..." Thien's voice jerks Shokichi back into the present. "I don't have...anything left..."

\---

He can feel himself fading away, drifting closer and closer to death. He's remembering things he should have long since forgotten but couldn't bear to let the memories go.

_"So, you're Thien, right?"_

_Thien is seven years old, staring up at the face of a man who claims he works for a place called U-NASA. His childhood friend, Ploy, grips his hand tightly as they stand in the abandoned alley they call home._

_"Thien," she whispers softly. "What does he want?"_

_"He wants...me to go with him..." He tells her hesitantly. "He says if I do, I'll have a surgery. If I survive, I have to do a mission for them later, but if I get back...I can get money."_

_"Are you gonna go?" Ploy's eyes are large, pleading. She doesn't want him to leave. Thien feels his chest tightening._

_"Yeah...I'm gonna go." He wants to cry so badly, but he just can't in front of Ploy. "But don't worry...I'm gonna survive and come back for you! When I get the money I'll buy us a house! And real food! And you can be happy!"_

_She's sobbing now, hanging on his arm and burying her face in her shoulder. "No! Thien, don't go!"_

_He gently detaches her, because if he has to hear her any longer, he's going to break down too. "I'm gonna come back for you...I promise..."_

_It takes Ploy a few minutes to collect herself. She wipes her eyes on her sleeve and gives him one last hug, throwing her skinny arms around him. "Bye-bye Thien."_

.

.

.

_Bye-bye Thien._

.

.

.

_Ten years later, when he's seventeen, Mr. Davis takes him aside. A man stands waiting for him, the same man who approached him ten years ago._

_"Yes?" Thien asks, somewhat apprehensive._

_"Your childhood friend," the man begins stiffly. "We've been keeping tabs on her for a while. She's dead."_

_"What...? No..." Thien's knees feel weak. What is this all of a sudden? This isn't real... "Why...!"_

_"Infection," the man says bluntly. "She died two weeks ago."_

_Bye-bye Thien._

"Shokichi, Akita, Ichiro..." Thien gasps out. "You all have...something a cold insect like myself does not...a will to live. I've come...to really like all of you..." It's hard for him to even form words now. He's sure he looks hideous, more like an insect than a human. "...haha-h...gross, h-huh? You can't even tell...if I'm human...or insect..."

"You moron..." Shokichi is crying, tears streaming down his cheeks. "I don't know...what's cold about you..." He's hugging him now, and Thien wants to tell him to stop, that he shouldn't cry over something sub-human, but Thien is crying too, because....

_I don't want to die._

...Because in truth, he _does_ have something to live for. He has to live for those who survive, Shokichi, Akita, Ichiro, and for those who died, Ming-Ming, Captain Davis, Jaina...he wants to live, because even though Ploy is gone, there are people who are still here...

"You're not...going to die...!!" Shokichi tells him. "I'm...gonna save you! Somehow...!"

Thien wants to speak, to tell him _thank you, thank you for saying that Shokichi, thank you for staying by my side and giving me something precious_ , but it's no longer possible. His mouth is gone. He's purely insect now.

_I...don't want to die!_

But the world is fading to black and he can no longer feel Shokichi's arms around him or hear Aki's sobs or see Ichiro's tears.

_Bye-bye, Thien._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have one more chapter planned, so next chapter will be the end of the fanfic. And if I've killed off your favorite characters...sorry ;_;
> 
> But...there will be a surprise next chapter!


End file.
